NFL: Patriots-Saints showcases Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees

FOXBORO — At the start of the season, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning were universally acknowledged as the three best quarterbacks currently exhibiting their handiwork in the NFL.

How you ranked them was a matter of opinion, although Brady and Manning were typically 1-2 in some order with Brees on the edge of the elite QB conversation.

Nothing has changed with regard to the makeup of that trinity of terrific throwers entering Week 6 (we don't care how well Tony Romo and Philip Rivers are playing). However, the order has definitely been determined.

Manning has led the Broncos to a 5-0 record and is on pace to pass for 6,029 yards and 64 touchdowns. Those numbers would shatter the league records of 5,476 yards set by Brees in 2011 and 50 TDs established by Brady in 2007.

No one in the game is playing any better at any position than Manning.

The Saints are also 5-0, making them one of three remaining undefeated teams. Brees' completion percentage of 69.7 isn't far off his league record of 71.23 set two years ago, and he'll be looking to extend his league record of 11 straight games with 25-plus completions when he meets the Patriots here today.

Brees also ranks in the top five in the league in every major statistical category. He's the best the NFC has to offer and first runner-up in the NFL.

"Obviously he's a smart quarterback," safety Steve Gregory said. "He's been in the league for quite a while now and done it at a high level consistently for a long time. He does a good job of reading defenses, understanding what you're in and trying to get the right checks with his offense to put them in a position to make plays."

Then there's Brady, whose sterling reputation has been slightly tarnished as he has posted some of the poorest passing numbers of his career. It's been an erratic first third of the season, but the GQ/QB still has his steadfast supporters who back him 100 percent.

"I mean, when you take the pieces away in just one year, that's a transition that's difficult," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "But you see everything you've seen prior: you see the arm strength, you see the will to win, you see the competitive drive. You see all those things."

Payton should know. He's sees those same traits every day in his own future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Brady and Manning have always been compared because they've annually met and consistently vied for AFC supremacy over the past 12 years. They're also classics, both in terms of stature and preference for passing out of the pocket.

Brees has always been that other guy, chiefly because of his size — or lack thereof.

While Brees doesn't have the measurables — he's listed at 6-foot and 209 pounds, which is a good 4 inches and a solid 16 pounds less than Brady — he does have the exceptional pocket presence.

"Drew is a great pocket guy," said linebacker Rob Ninkovich, who briefly played with Brees in New Orleans before joining the Patriots in 2009. "He has great pocket awareness. He can move pretty well. You see a lot of guys that think he is going to take a sack, and then he's able to shrug the guy off with his pocket awareness.

"He's got really great feet in the pocket. He's a little bit undersized for a quarterback, so he really has to stand tall in the pocket and look over his linemen and try to get the ball down the middle."

It's all contributed to helping him put up some tremendous numbers in key categories that match or surpass Brady.

Brees is 10th in wins (104), sixth in TD passes (336), third in completion percentage (65.7) and tied for 26th in interception percentage (2.7).

So, despite their physical differences, comparing Brady and Brees isn't a stretch in the least.

"Both quarterbacks have had great careers: very productive, won a lot of games," coach Bill Belichick said. "They both do a lot of things well: complete a lot of passes for a lot of yards, for a lot of touchdowns and not too many turnovers and sacks and bad plays in there. So, quick decisions, accurate passing and all that, I think there are a lot of similarities like that."

Brady and Brees look different, but how they play the game and the results that follow make them two of the top three quarterbacks in the league today. And, oh yeah, in six weeks that Manning guy will be in town to showcase his stuff.